


The Best Thing

by imthehotgirl



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, Friendship, Loyalty, M/M, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28095897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imthehotgirl/pseuds/imthehotgirl
Summary: Jared is being bullied and when Jensen and the rest of their friends find out they help him through it.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53





	The Best Thing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QueenofSchmoop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenofSchmoop/gifts).



> So, I actually started on this fic years ago shortly after having seeing the Girl Meets World episode 'Girl Meets Rileytown'. And yes, it is loosely based on it. Like I said I started this years ago, got so far with it at the time and then promptly forgot all about it until a few weeks ago when I realized my dear friend QueenofSchmoop's birthday is coming up in just a few shorts days. 💜 I'd always intended on giving this one to you, hon. But due to human error I completely spaced it until recently. I hope you're able to enjoy some aspect of it. Happy 'early' Birthday!! 💗

Fifteen-year-old Jared Padalecki laid buried underneath a mountain of covers on his bed. He wasn’t sure how he’d managed to convince his parents that he was sick, but he was grateful for the excuse to stay away from school. He needed the break. It was becoming too much, and he couldn’t… he just couldn’t deal with it. Not at the moment at least.

What he hadn’t counted on, what he should’ve seen coming like a Mack truck barreling toward him, was his boyfriend, Jensen Ackles.

He screwed his eyes shut, hearing the familiar clack of the ladder against the roof as Jensen climbed the rungs, wrenched open his bedroom window and promptly fell onto the floor as he made his way into Jared’s bedroom.

“Dammit,” Jensen growled in annoyance, his voice husky as he got to his feet, immediately removed his shoes and climbed into bed with Jared.

“Jen, you shouldn’t be here. I’m-I’m sick,” Jared mumbled, drawing in a shaky breath as he tried not to let his boyfriend wrap him up in his arms like he knew Jensen wanted to.

“Don’t care, Jay. I can’t handle this whole school thing by myself, honey,” Jensen insisted, pulling the covers away from Jared’s head so he could look in Jared’s eyes.

He smiled as Jared met his gaze, and he leaned forward and softly kissed Jared on the cheek.

“Sure you can, Jensen. You have Danni and Gen. The three of you can get through anything,” Jared said.

“Not without you, I can’t. Sure, together Danni, Gen and I are pretty awesome, but we’re even better when you’re with us,” Jensen replied, his brow furrowing when Jared flinched away from his touch.

“No, you’re not,” Jared muttered, trying to roll over onto his side and get away from Jensen’s scrutinizing gaze.

Jensen got up off the bed and completely pulled the covers off of Jared. “You’re not really sick, are you, Jared? What’s going on?”

“Nothing! All right? Nothing!” Jared yelled, his chest heaving as he finally climbed off the bed and got right into Jensen’s face. “Leave. Me. Alone!”

“Jared, whatever this is… We can get through it. I know we can. Just talk to me. Please, honey,” Jensen pleaded. “I love you,” he murmured, his eyes welling with concern as he reached out, attempting to pull Jared closer. But Jared reared back, his own eyes welling with tears as he half-stumbled, half-crawled back toward his bed.

“Stop. Just stop. And please, leave me alone. Just leave me alone,” he begged, grabbing at the blankets on the floor and pulling them up over his head again.

“Okay. Okay, Jared. If that’s what you want, sweetie. I-I’ll leave you alone. But I’m coming back,” Jensen promised, swallowing hard, blinking back the tears that were threatening at the edges of his vision as he finally climbed back out the window he’d come through.

Hearing his boyfriend leave the way he’d come, Jared sighed heavily, willing the tears to stop as he struggled to think of himself as anyone other than the boy whose boyfriend was Jensen Ackles.

**

“Oh, Jensen. That’s just all kinds of sad,” Genevieve Cortese said, motioning toward the ice cream that was melting on top of the apple pie Jensen had ordered.

Jensen had met up with Genevieve and Danneel Harris at Morgan’s shortly after his visit with Jared. He hadn’t touched his dessert with his usual gusto so the girls knew almost immediately that something was wrong.

“Jensen? Where’s Jared?” Danneel asked slowly, pulling her arm from around her girlfriend’s shoulders as she sat up more fully to give her friend all of her attention.

Jensen’s tongue darted out of his mouth, wetting at his lips as he cleared his throat, watching his right hand, which rested on the booth’s table top, flex as he unconsciously made a fist. 

“He, uh, he won’t talk to me. But something… something is really wrong, Hollywood. That much I do know,” Jensen finally said.

“It’ll be okay, Jensen. We’ll figure it out. We’re his friends. There’s nothing we can’t fix together,” Genevieve insisted.

Jensen nodded at her words. “I know, Gen. Thanks. I’m just scared. I’ve never seen him like this before.”

The three of them looked up when they heard someone come into the restaurant.

“Hey, guys. Look who I found hanging around outside,” Chad Murray said, approaching their table, his arm slung around Jared’s shoulders as he led Jared over to their usual booth.

Chad and Danneel had been best friends in Malibu, California before the two of them had transferred to Austin, Texas, each for their own reasons. Chad respected the close-knit foursome Jensen, Jared, Genevieve and Danneel had become prior to him being transferred to Kerouac High. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t about to be supportive and there for the four of them if an opportunity presented itself.

Jensen liked Chad well enough, but he knew every so often Danneel grew annoyed with her friend if she felt he was encroaching on her alone time with Genevieve.

Swallowing hard, Jensen ached to reach out and hold Jared’s hand as his boyfriend sighed heavily in resignation before sliding into the booth next to him.

“Jared? I’m glad you’re here, sweetie,” he finally said, ignoring the tick of Jared’s jaw, instead reaching out for his boyfriend’s hand, attempting to provide the comfort that Jared was so desperate for but not actively seeking out for some odd reason.

“And we’re glad to be here,” Chad declared, obviously sensing the tension that was rolling off of Jared in waves as he sat down next to Danneel in the booth, unintentionally pushing Genevieve right up against the wall.

In a matter of minutes Chad was sprawled on the floor after Danneel pushed him away, quickly regaining her spot in the booth, giving Genevieve back the space she’d momentarily lost. “Ow,” Chad muttered from his position on the floor. “All right, fine. I can grab a chair,” he said, getting to his feet and going in search of a chair he could use.

Jared pulled his hand away from Jensen’s, giving the two of them as much space as he could within the booth.

“Jared, why won’t you talk to me?” Jensen asked softly, the concern he was feeling for Jared welling in his eyes once again.

“Why won’t you listen to me? Just stop. All of this,” Jared said, motioning between the two of them. “It’s not worth it. I’m not worth it.”

And Jensen and his friends watched in stunned silence as Jared got to his feet, leaving Morgan’s, and their daily ritual behind him. 

Noticing the vacant spot in the booth next to Jensen upon his return with a chair, Chad looked between Danneel and Genevieve for an explanation.

“Okay, I wasn’t even gone that long. What the hell did I miss?” he demanded, sitting down in the chair, waiting for someone to start talking.

“Jensen?” Genevieve asked gently. Jensen slowly lifted his head, a haunted expression in his eyes as he slowly met her gaze.

“Gen? How do we even…? He needs us, but I don’t know how to fix this,” he said.

Genevieve gently nudged Danneel until her girlfriend moved so she could get out of their side of the booth. She slid in next to Jensen, staring up into the eyes of one of her oldest and dearest friends, her heart breaking for him and Jared.

“Do you remember how when Danni and I started dating I was really hesitant about everything at first? There was this girl, Katie. She kept telling me I couldn’t date Danni. That it’d look weird because I was shorter than her. And for a while I bought into it,” she explained.

“You were being bullied?” Jensen asked.

“Yeah, I was,” Genevieve said.

“How’d you stop it?”

“Well, for one, having friends like you and Jared. The two of you have never cared what you look like. You love each other for who you are. That’s so inspiring. And secondly, there was Danni. She’s loved me from nearly the minute we met. She told me the height thing was never an issue for her, and if I loved her as much as she was hoping I did, it shouldn’t bother me. It took me some time but I got over it. And once Katie realized I wasn’t an easy target anymore she left me alone,” Genevieve told him.

“Is that it? You think Jared’s being bullied?” Jensen asked softly.

“I don’t know for sure, Jensen. But he is acting the way I did when Katie was going after me. Closing himself off from us. From you. Getting angry. Belittling himself. For some reason he’s convinced himself he doesn’t need us…”

“That I shouldn’t love him,” Jensen whispered hoarsely, color draining from his face as he slowly began understanding the implications of his boyfriend’s words. “Gen, I gotta-I gotta go find Jared. Talk to him,” he insisted, moving out of the booth when she let him pass.

“We’ll be here,” she replied. “Figuring out how to help him.”

“Thanks,” Jensen said gratefully, giving his friends an appreciative smile before taking off in search of his boyfriend.

**

Jared sat on his bed, staring at his open window, none too surprised when Jensen came through it, into the room like usual.

Swallowing hard, Jared turned a tearstained gaze in the direction of his boyfriend.

Without a word, Jensen walked toward him, sat down on the bed and gently pulled Jared into a hug.

“I’m here for you, Jared. Always. No matter what anybody else says. I love you,” Jensen murmured, his lips brushing Jared’s neck as he spoke. “Now, are you ready to tell me what happened?”

Jared stiffened in his boyfriend’s hold, slowly moving away from Jensen to look him in the eyes.

“You shouldn’t do this. I told you to stop, Jensen. Why won’t you listen to me?” he demanded hoarsely, pushing at Jensen until his boyfriend wasn’t touching him anymore.

“You keep saying that. Stop what? I can’t help you if you won’t talk to me, Jared. And I can’t help you if you won’t tell me what’s wrong,” Jensen insisted, his hands falling to his sides when he realized Jared was resistant to any form of comfort or affection in that moment.

“I can’t,” Jared replied, shaking his head, a fresh wave of tears welling in his eyes again. “I can’t tell you.”

“Bullshit. Jay, you can tell me anything. Anything, honey, and we’ll figure out how to fix it. Together. Just like we always do,” Jensen promised softly.

With his whole body trembling, Jared leaned forward, resting his head in Jensen’s lap, the tears he’d been holding back falling from his eyes as his boyfriend rubbed soothing circles into his back.

“Buttercup, I’m sorry. For getting angry. You don’t deserve me yelling at you,” Jared said, his voice clogged from the tears he’d shed.

Jensen shrugged. “Maybe I don’t. But I can handle it, Jared. It’s okay if you’re angry. I just wish you’d let me help you,” he begged quietly.

Jared’s whole body stiffened again, his hand curling around Jensen’s denim clad leg in an attempt to ground himself as he heard his phone buzz across the nightstand where he’d left it, alerting him to the fact he had a text message waiting for him to be read. 

“Go away. Just… make it stop,” he pleaded hoarsely before leaving the safety of his boyfriend’s arms, curled into a ball in a physical attempt at protecting himself as he buried his head underneath his pillow. 

After several minutes passed, Jared’s phone going off intermittently during that time, Jared realized Jensen wasn’t going to speak, instead was waiting for him to be ready to begin the conversation again. 

Drawing in a shaky breath, he lifted the pillow off his head and finally turned toward Jensen, meeting his boyfriend’s gaze.

“He won’t stop. And I don’t know how to make him listen to me. I don’t want to do what he’s telling me. But I’m goofy. A distraction. And if I know what’s good for me I should just stop. I ruin everything by trying to be supportive, so I should just stop it all before it turns into another year of me being nothing but annoying,” Jared whispered, relief flooding him when Jensen stroked his hair back from his face and kissed his forehead.

“Who is it? Who is it that’s bullying you, Jared?” Jensen murmured.

“Justin. Justin Hartley. He’s gonna be really upset that I told you, Jen,” Jared replied.

“Tough shit. What else? What else has he been saying?” Jensen asked, his gaze becoming steely as he went into protective mode.

“He’s been trying to get me to break up with you because I’m not good for you. I’m not good for…”

“The team? That’s what he’s telling you? Dammit. The guy needs some serious therapy. There’s more to life than sports or being an athlete. Like friendship. Love. You and me. It’s never mattered to me that sports aren’t your thing, Jay. You’re your own person and I respect that. I’m sorry that there are people out there who don’t. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I don’t want you to ever doubt that or how much I love you, honey,” Jensen insisted, giving Jared a soft smile before leaning forward and kissing Jared on the mouth.

Jared relaxed at Jensen’s words, returning his boyfriend’s smile with one of his own. “Buttercup. I love you too.”

“Listen to me, Jared. Danni, Gen and I are gonna help you, all right? Like I said, we’ll get through this together. I promise. You’re not alone in this anymore,” Jensen murmured, hugging Jared.

**

“I thought we were gonna wait for Jensen back at Morgan’s?” Chad asked as they entered the school, walking through the hallways.

“Change of plans,” Danneel snarled through clenched teeth.

“Uh, Danni? Baby, Jensen didn’t tell you what was going on so you’d take matters into your own hands. Jared’s gonna be okay. He wouldn’t want you going back to that. Turning back into a person you really don’t want to be. I get it. You’re trying to protect him. And that’s admirable. But not like this. Not like this,” Genevieve protested, noting her girlfriend’s rigid posture and fists resting against her sides.

“I don’t care, Gen. Jared is wonderful. The fact that there is someone out there telling him he’s not? Yeah, I don’t like it,” Danneel insisted, a scowl on her face.

Genevieve sighed. “So what’re we gonna do?”

“For starters, I’m gonna find this Justin creep and beat his ass. Then, I don’t know. Meet up with Jensen and Jared at Morgan’s for dinner?” Danneel suggested.

“Chad, any suggestions?” Genevieve asked, watching her girlfriend disappear down the hallway, heading in the direction of the locker rooms.

“I’m sorry, Gen. When Danni’s in protective mode she’s damn near impossible to stop,” Chad replied, following after the girls.

**

Jensen found Justin in the locker room. “Hey, man. You got a second?”

“Yeah, sure. What’s up?” Justin asked. He’d just finished pulling on his street clothes after working out and showering.

Jensen shook his head. “You know, I really don’t get you. You do realize there’s more to life than sports, right? Being an athlete doesn’t automatically give you license to treat others poorly. So what if Jared’s not into this stuff?! So he’s different. You ever stop to think why I’m here? On the baseball team? Trust me, it’s not because of your stellar leadership skills as Captain. It’s because Jared pushed me to try out because he knew how much I loved the game. And he’s been with me at every game, cheering me on because he loves me. And you know what else? I love him for being the person he is. It’s kind of a shame you’re not willing to really get to know Jared. You’re missing out, believe me,” he explained. “Now, this…,” he continued emphatically, motioning between himself and Justin. “Whatever you’re doing to Jared? It ends. NOW,” Jensen growled, glaring at Justin as he got right into the other boy’s face.

Justin snorted, shaking his head. “What I’m doing to Jared? Pretty sure he’s doing that all by himself being the school’s Super Freak,” he muttered with a derisive laugh.

“What?” Jensen demanded softly, swallowing back a wave of unease swirling inside him as he continued to glare at Justin.

“A freak, Hartley? A freak? Really? Have you looked in the mirror lately, you giant piece of coyote dung?” Danneel asked, stepping out from behind a row of lockers and slowly advancing on Justin, gently maneuvering Jensen out of the way until she stood in front of Jared’s bully.

“Cute, Harris,” Justin replied with a sneer.

Danneel flashed him a broad smile. “Damn right, I am. I’m friggin’ adorable. But you, Hartley, are nothing but a bully. You’re gonna do what Jensen said and leave Jared alone. If I find out you haven’t? Well, let’s just say I have ways of making life very difficult for you,” she murmured before grabbing Justin by the wrist and twisting his arm behind his back, shoving him face front up against the lockers. “Do we understand each other?” she growled in his ear, placing her knee strategically between his legs.

Nodding emphatically, Justin groaned in relief when Danneel finally let him go and backed away.

“Hollywood?” Jensen asked slowly, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. He watched Danneel sigh, her head dropping forward in defeat as she ran a hand over her face.

“I lost this one, Jensen. Jared is, uh, he’s gonna be so disappointed in me, isn’t he?” Danneel whispered hoarsely, giving Jensen a half-hearted smile.

“Really? Honestly, I think you won, Danni. You could’ve really hurt this jackass, but you didn’t,” Jensen insisted.

“Yeah, only because Gen told me Jared doesn’t want me to turn back into that girl I was in Malibu, using my fists instead of my words to communicate. And well, Gen practically begged me not to,” Danneel replied.

Jensen chuckled, a warm smile on his face. “Exactly, Hollywood. Friendship and love, that’s all that’s ever mattered here. No matter what this dickhead wants any of us to believe,” he said, motioning toward Justin.

“Ackles, if you still think you’re on the team after this…” Justin trailed off threateningly.

Jensen snorted. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. Hartley, I quit the minute I found out you were the one turning Jared into someone he’s never wanted to be. Someone none of us want him to be,” he said, nodding meaningfully in Danneel’s direction.

He watched Justin swallow, eyeing Danneel warily before scrambling toward the entrance of the locker room.

“Justin. Hi. Where’re you going?” Jared asked, stepping into the room flanked by Genevieve and Chad on either side of him. “Aren’t you going to make fun of me? Tell me to stop being with Jensen because I’m nothing? Just a freak?”

“What? N-no. I’m-I’m not gonna do that. Wh-why would you think I’m gonna do something like that?” Justin stammered, his eyes widening as he finally noticed Chad and Genevieve glaring at him.

“Oh, I don’t know, Justin. Maybe it’s because of all the text messages Jared’s been getting from you telling him that? Or maybe it’s the face-to-face interaction before every home game? You know, all Jared was trying to do was be your friend because he knew how important your friendship was to Jensen. But then you try and convince him the only way Jensen could ever truly be happy is if they stop seeing each other? Who the hell does that? The only one who gets to decide what’s best for Jensen is Jensen. You understand me?” Genevieve growled. “And Jared being his boyfriend and us being his friends are the ones in his life he’s trusted to help him when he’s having trouble figuring that out. It hasn’t exactly escaped my notice he hasn’t entrusted you in the same way. Stay away from these boys from now on unless they seek out your help or advice. If you don’t I won’t have to tell Danni twice to come after you.”

Justin nodded profusely, swallowing hard again as he glanced back at Jensen and Danneel. They all watched him open his mouth as he struggled to come up with a way of defending his actions.

Catching Jared’s gaze, Chad smirked briefly as the other boy nodded his consent before Chad returned his attention toward Justin. He held back his snort of disgust as Justin finally met his gaze.

Leaning forward a bit more Chad let his expression become neutral, enjoying watching Justin squirm as he waited for what Chad had planned for him.

“Boo.”

Justin recoiled, a look of contempt coloring his features. “You’re all a bunch of freaks,” he muttered before shouldering his way passed them and through the locker room door.

“You know what? Maybe we are. But I think we’re okay with that, aren’t we, Jensen?” Jared asked.

“Being ourselves? Definitely, Jay. So, you ready to go home, honey?” Jensen asked his boyfriend.

Jared nodded. “Yeah, Jensen, I am,” he murmured, taking a hold of Jensen’s hand in his own and leading them out of the locker room, Genevieve, Chad and Danneel following. 

“So, we still meeting up at Morgan’s for dinner then?” Chad asked, already thinking of his stomach.

Jared chuckled softly. “Sounds great,” he readily agreed, Jensen and the girls murmuring their agreement as well.

As the five of them made their way outside Jared smiled, feeling Jensen squeeze his hand as they continued to walk with one another. He silently realized he never wanted to lose this. Lose them. Any of them. They were the best part of him, and he felt happy knowing they all felt the same.

THE END


End file.
